I don’t know if
this was a saving grace or fatal flaw, but Knights
of Badassdom is such a brief film experience that I never had time to
decide whether it was going anywhere before it was done. On one hand, the
filmmakers removed the possibility of audiences growing tired of the
single-joke premise, but the double-edged sword never allowed anything more
than that gag in the 80-some minute running time. We are ultimately left with a
film that seems as though it could have either been a lot funnier or a lot
worse with fifteen minutes more, but instead feels like the shell of a film
that doesn’t satisfy or offend.

Almost like a
fantasy film thought up by the kind of socially struggling role players in the
world, Knights of Badassdom imagines
a demonic succubus being released into the world in the middle of a Live Action
Role Players game of medieval fantasy. Among the fake elves, warriors and
wizards is a real-live demon with a thirst for blood that outmatches any of the
foam swords used as weapons. When Joe (Ryan Kwanten) is dragged to an overnight
match with his two geeky roommates (Peter Dinklage and Steve Zahn), he
inadvertently brings the image of his recent ex-girlfriend into the demon,
allowing him to work through the break-up by slaying his ex’s demonic
doppelganger.

There are some
fun creature effects amidst the comedy horror of the film, though there is an
overwhelming feeling that the cast is largely wasted in an opportunity for far
more humor. Towards the end of the film all of the talent is lost in the middle
of special effects, but the journey to the climax never feels deserved. The
transition from comedy to horror and then to fantasy/action doesn’t allow for
any development in any of the individual genres pillaged.

The Blu-ray
release includes a behind-the-scenes featurette, interviews with cast members
that include a Comic-Con panel, and a worthless geek-inspired montage of sci-fi
fan favorite Summer Glau.